Signboard



SIGNBOARD.

Patented June 8, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

INVENTOQ` F. W. GIBSON.

SIGNBOAHD.

APPLICATION FILED IAILB. |919.

Patented June 8,11920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 'New UNITED STAT FRANCIS W. GIBSON, or WEST ItoXBURY, MASSACHUSETTS.'

SIGNBOARD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 8, 1919. Serial No. 270,201. n

y less built in a `very substantial manner at a correspondingly high cost, it is liable to be blown down or destroyed by wind,vand in the second place, owing to long use ithas lost effectiveness in attracting attention because of its too familiar nature. The possibilities of advertising of this type, however, are still great,- and various efforts have been made to revive roadside advertising and restoreits waning powei' of arresting attention.

To the end therefore of producing such an improvement. in the art I'have devised my present invention. In this I overcome the expense of heavy permanent structure by making the sign automatically head into the wind and thus avoid lateral pressure, which at once relieves the necessity of heavy and expensive structure and adds a desirable factor of arresting attention. This increased power of arresting attention comes from the fact that the apparent Vposition of the sign relative to the passing traffic varies from time to time with the shift of the wind so that a sign which was observed in the morning and which if iii the. same position might fail to arrest attention in the afternoon, would immediately become conspicuous on account of its change of position in the landscape. Furthermore any sign fixed relative to the roadway has only an average visibility to the passing public due to angle of approach, eye sight and speed of passing. A sign, however,which varies in position from day to day, perhaps hour to hour, increases the averagev of its visibility by reaching individuals within whose range'it otherwise would not come.

The above features, asl well as lcertain other elements of novelty, are embodied in my invention as will be hereafter explained and are illustrated in the embodiments shown in` the accompanying drawings; rI liroughout the specification vand drawings, like reference numerals are employed to inl dicate corresponding parts. ings:

Figure l is an elevation partly in sectionv invention. f

of a board'in accordance with my Fig. 2 a plan view of the same. f Fig. 3 a sectional detail of the bearing.

Fig. 4 is a transverse section of a further modification.

Fig. 5 is a detail view of a portion of one of the lornamental side frame ymembers of the sign unit shown in Fig. 4:. v

Fig. 6 is a transverse section of a sign Patented une 84,v i

6m .In the drawunitmodifiedfor illumination, and Fig. 7 is a detail section illustrating a form of supportingl member.

In carrying out my invention I provide a verticalsupporting member or post lwhicli may be convenientlymade of'pipe or tubing and which is preferably'set with cross pins 2 in a cement base. It is to be borne in mind that many of the choicest locations for sign boards are in land .under cultivation ork y at least in grass, where the setting of af large number of posts and ,braces is objectionable to the owner of the land and -frequentlyinvolves considerable adjustment for land renters at present. `My singley post therefore constitutes a feature of 'greatpractical importance in locating. signs in vdesirable spots without interferingwith the cul-v tivation of the adjacent area or with` any serious obstruction of' light or accessibility.v f

For greater rigidity ofstructure and con-l venience of assembly, the tubular support 1 may be sectional, and the sections united by4 any suitable coupling 20, a smaller tube` 21 being embedded inthe base 3 withinl they sectional support 1;v

Hung on the upright 1 is an advertising v carrying 'member 4.- which is preferably formed by a plurality of suitably shaped horizontal `frame pieces 5l revolubly sup- 1 ported on the upright' l and covered exter-l nally by sheets 6-6 of fiber board oilthe like. The pieces 5f are tapered toward each end so that the sheets 6 6 come together at vertical lateralledges whichare bound by U-shaped strips 7 at each endithereof to prevent any working loose of the coveringy `material* and makes of the member 4 a variety of'lengths so as to give supportv `to themember at a reasonable number of' points.. It is to.. be borne in mind, however, that inasmuch as my sign keeps itself headed ,into the wind, very little wind pressure is encounteredand such pressure as there is comes edgewise against the tapered edges' ofthe sign. The structure may therefore be very'light and of a cheaplyl produced vfor play and for takeup in wear.

nature. v

The member 4 is preferably hung on a freel bearing which in .the form shown is conveniently made by setting into the upper frame 5 a cup-shaped piece 61 having flanges 7 which bear on theunder side of the piece 5 and be there held by screws l8. The upright 1 as shown in Fig. 2 preferably has a plug 10 in which is acentral vertical bolt opening for lreceiving a bolt 11.y

On top of the plug 10 is formed a hemispherical bearing portion 12 suitably treated as by lsoaking in -oil so as to'form an easy bearing` substantially conformingv to the cup-shaped socket 61 but allowing room The upper end of the tubular support 1 with Athe opposingibottom of the socket 61 constitutes yaflimiting paid incase of loos'eness or wear in the bearing. The shank ofthe bolt .11 is threaded and a nut 13 and lock vnut 131 run down adjacent the'top of the cup 61 to hold the sign from lifting to any undesirable extent on the upright. Above the nut 13, preferably kclamped by another nut, 14, is a fixed pointer 15` indicating'direction or distance. I furthermore contemplate ktopping the uprights with cross arms 16 indicating the-points of the compass. This adds to the interest of the sign not only supplying information as to the compass points t'o the passing public, but in connection with the sign itself, giving indication of `direction of the wind as avfurther added interest to thesign.

The support 1 for the sign unit is disposed to one side ,of the vertical axis of the sign so that the sign will automatically head linto the wind, but will not spin about the support as an, axis. The sheets *6-6 each yprovides a surface for thedisplay of advertising matter, and by reasonofthe capacity for rotation, the effective advertisement-bearing area of the sign relative to the road or other way is thus doubled.

t, In Fig.k 4, the horizontal struts or cross members 5 are recessed lat their' ei'ds as indicated at 26, to kreceive lateral vframe members 27, which may be of any desired ornamental form," as the arrow-configura.- tion illustrated. The members 27 are formed to provide surfaces 28 to which the sheets 6-6 may be tacked.

In Fig.' 6, an illuminated signv unit'is shown. In such asign, the letters or other indicia to be displayed may be cut through the sheets, as indicated .at 30..` L.The incani descent bulb or other light sourcey 31 may be conveniently supported upon one of the transverse web `members 5,' and thev feed wires maybe introduced through the holzlow support l. ,t

Signs in accordance withmy invention lin addition to having a very high degreeof appeal have a high potential utility in' their relation kto sign board erection and mainte:- 1

nance.'y The small amount of space that is required of the land owner frequently makes.'

possible the securing of desirable locations otherwise unattainable, so that favorable arrangements may be made `in locating the boards. The swinging movement of the sign furthermore-.not only so far reduces interference with growing crops as to elimiL nate objection on that score, but is even a protection to crops as 1n caseof corn or other grains. In such klocation the sign acts as a' scare crow and performs the function of makingk the jsign welcome instead of unwelcome to the farmer.

All the above suggested andv various other modifications may obviously be made in carrying out this invention, indetailof structure and form of sign used, allwithout de partingfrom the spiritofiny invention if within the lim-its of the appended'clai'ms.

IV hat I therefore claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a vroadside sign board, a signv unit comprising a fixed vertical support, spaced horizontal frame members eccentrically mounted on said support and oscillatabley thereabout as an axis, .and oppositely arranged surfacing members vertically con' necting said frame members and inclosing said support. i

2. In a roadsidevsign board,a`sign unit comprising a fixed vertical support, spaced" horizontal frame members ecceiitrically mounted on said support'` andoscillatable thereabout as an axis, a pair of oppositely/ curved surfacing members vertically cnlnectmg said frame members and inclosing said support, and a'relatively stationary 'direction indicatormounted upon said support.

3. In a 'roadside vsign bo'ard, a sign unit comprising ya fixed vertical support, lciiig'gi-` tudinally, tapered frame members eccentric'ally mounted onv said support in spaced horizontal relation thereto and oscillatable thereabout as an axis, and opposed display surfaces of similar convexity attached to and connecting the opposite longitudinal edges of said frame members.

4. In a roadside sign board, a sign unit comprising a xed vertical support, tapered frame members eccentrically mounted on said support in spaced horizontal relation thereto and oscillatable thereabout as an axis, a pair of oppositely arranged display members of similar convexity attached to and connecting said frame members, and Wind resistant inishing strips vertically connecting the meeting edges of said display members! 5. In a sign board, a sign unit comprising a fixed support, and a display member eccentrically mounted on said support for limited oscillation thereabout as an axis through an arc of not more than 180 in either direction. y

6. A roadside sign board comprising a fixed vertical tubular supporting member,

lateral frame pieces, a bearing plug lodged Within the upper end of said tubular member and having a bearing formed at its upper end, a bearing socket on a frame piece laterally of the center thereof and a spindle fixed in said lug and extending through said bearing and socket, and a surfacing attached to said frame members thereof and inclosing said vertical support.

7. In a sign board, a sign comprising a base, and a sectional tubular support, a coupling connecting said tube sections, a tube of smaller diameter embedded in said base Within said sectional tube, and a sign element mounted on said sectional tube for movement thereabout as an axis.

In testimony whereof I ax my signature in presence oi two Witnesses.

FRANCIS W.v GIBSON.

lVtnesses:

VICTORIA LOWDEN, GEORGE B. RAWLINGS. 

